Brian fitch trial verdict

Some 93 prospective jurors were summoned to appear at Stearns County District Court to potentially serve on the Fitch trial. Fitch himself allegedly tried to hide the car after the shooting, told friends that he needed to hide out for a while and even said while in the hospital that he had done it, according to evidence the state is likely to use. Fitch allegedly hatched a plot after his capture to kill two key witnesses in his case. Investigators learned in late December that Fitch told another inmate that he wanted to target two witnesses, according to prosecutors.

After the final juror was chosen Friday afternoon, Theisen heard arguments on the defense motion asking for the name of a confidential informant who spoke to police shortly after officer Patrick was killed. The informant saw Fitch at p. She told prosecutor Richard Dusterhoft to consider coming up with a workable alternative over the weekend. Matt McKinney is a reporter on the Star Tribune's state team. In 15 years at the Star Tribune, he has covered business, agriculture and crime.

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Souhan: 7 deadly sins? The verdict capped six days of testimony in the trial, which was held in St. The officer, a year veteran of the Mendota Heights force and year-old father of two, was shot to death July 30 in West St. Paul during a traffic stop. The Pontiac Grand Am he pulled over belonged to Fitch, a known drug dealer with outstanding warrants — though Patrick had no way of knowing that because it was registered to someone else.

A sprawling manhunt ensued, ending with officers tracking Fitch down in St. Paul the same day. He was arrested there following the shootout that was the basis for the attempted murder charges. The gun recovered next to him matched the bullets that killed Patrick, along with a shell casing found in the Grand Am. Ultimately, jurors sided with prosecutors in deciding the overall picture pointed to Fitch.

Lee Voss Published: February 2, Share on Facebook Share on Twitter. Previous Story. Filed Under: brian fitch trial , murder trial , police officer murder , scott patrick. Categories: courts , St. Cloud News. Back To Top.